Chapter 1
“Going, going, gone. The weekend with hotel owner Michael Brooks is sold to the lady in the red dress. Ladies and gents, please wait until the auction is done to go and pick up your envelopes with your information packages for your dates,” the announcer in the black tux announced over his mic.
Michael stood there stunned into silence for the first time in his adult life. At least he had the presence of mind to not leave his mouth hanging open at the sudden turn of events.
He and Summer had had everything planned. This was going to be the official launch of their love story and also help raise money for the homeless shelters that were in desperate need here in New York.
The press would have gone wild that the Townsend heiress and one of the Brooks brothers were now in a relationship, sparked by her donating funds at the bachelor and bachelorette charity auction.
But in just one second, Ambra had taken all that away from them. Michael’s gaze swung to lock with Summer’s, and he could see the anger and the shame in her expression. She had just lost to his best friend, and the audience had gone quiet, except for the flurry of photographers and press murmuring in the background.
Tonight’s auction was to kick off the hotel opening in New York. His older brother Carter had worked hard to get it off the ground. Next in line would be the other hotel/casino that had already begun construction in Vegas; it was set to rival the one they already had. Their latest Vegas hotel would be very opulent and styled in a theme of diamonds and gold by the famous design Bianca Core.
His attention was caught when the auctioneer cleared his throat. He was looking at him expectantly. Michael realized he was just standing there.
He nodded at the man, fixing his jacket before walking to the short set of stairs to the right of the stage and descending. A flurry of thoughts buzzed in his head, but front and center were Ambra and Summer.
Why did Summer stop betting? She was an heiress and could have kept going. And what was Ambra playing at? Maybe what Summer has been telling me all along is true... Ambra wants me for herself. I can’t believe it. My best friend has really stepped over the line with this one.
Three people were now embarrassed: himself, Summer, and Ambra. He was so angry he could spit bullets, but he was trying to contain himself, or else he was going to embarrass her on the spot.
His jaw clenched tightly at the thought, and he looked to see that Summer had gotten up and was walking away from her chair. Ambra was staring after her in shock and dismay, her mouth opening and closing as if she didn’t know what to say. Damm right there is nothing you can say.
Through his haze of disbelief that this was happening, he didn’t see anyone else as he walked off the stage. His only focus was on getting to Ambra and then finding a place for them to have a private chat. Then he vaguely heard, “This is going to be gooood .”
It sounded like his sister-in-law Zahara, but he didn’t take the time to look, as he then also heard the sudden twitter of the guests as he continued on towards his target.
When he finally stopped in front of Ambra, the color red blurred his vision. She must have seen the anger on his face because her eyes widened like saucers, and she began to stutter.
“I’m s-sorry, it...it was supposed to be joke. I...I didn’t think she would stop—”
He reached down, took her arm tightly in his hand, and almost yanked her out of the chair, not listening to her whispered protests as he marched them out of the ballroom. When the doors shut behind them, he looked left and right and then strode to a conference room that was down the hall to the right at the end of the hallway. They entered the room, and he waved his hands at the wall closest to the double doors, where the sensors were to turn on the lights.
He finally turned to face her, and his haze of anger faded in sudden shock. His brain was finally registering what Ambra looked like and what she was wearing.
She began to stutter again as his eyes ran over her. She was not wearing her signature braids; instead, her natural hair had been straightened and shortened to a bob that fell to her jaw, one side covering her forehead and almost one of her eyes. Her lashes were long and luscious—extensions perhaps?
He wasn’t sure, but damn they emphasized her deep-brown eyes, and with her makeup and red lipstick, her face reminded him of the sexy Jessica Rabbit. Her mouth was pouty and plump, and the dark eyeshadow and contouring on her cheeks gave her face a natural sultry look. Diamond drop earrings hung down from her ears and almost touched her shoulders. His eyes lowered to her exposed shoulders and upper chest, where her plump breasts almost looked to be falling out of her dress. He looked lower still, taking in her cinched waist and the flair of her hips. Her red mermaid dress complemented her figure and her dark skin perfectly. On her feet were matching red open-toed high heel that raised her tall form to match his height.
When she waved her hands as she spoke, he got a whiff of the perfume she was wearing, and he became suddenly hard staring at the body that had been hidden from him for as long as he knew her. Whatever the fuck is in that scent is intoxicating.
“Michael, Micky, I am so sorry. I will fix this. I promise. Give me her number and I will set up a meeting.”
He shook himself out of his sudden lustful stupor. “Shut up; the damage is done,” he barked.
He had never thought of her as more than just a friend, one of his buddies to hang out with and do stuff with, and he was enraged that his childhood friend had done him dirty like that, especially knowing what he had planned with Summer.
“But Michael—”
He hadn’t intended on kissing her when he had walked with her, his hand tight on her arm, telling her in no uncertain terms that she had no choice but to follow when she tried to pull away. His anger had risen more. Michael was known for his laid-back, jovial nature, until he was pissed off by someone or something that he didn’t agree with, and right now, his anger and unhappiness with the situation was directed at Ambra.
He had at least given her the consideration of doing this in private, instead of everyone and the press seeing what was about to happen, which is why he had taken her to the first conference room that would be empty.
He hadn’t known what he was going to say or do, but the moment they entered the room and he heard her stuttering her excuses, her bosom rising and falling with each agitated breath, he couldn’t see straight and didn’t want to hear it. She had ruined all his plans. Summer would see this as a humiliation planned by him and his best friend.
He slammed his lips down on her’s, silencing her. He had meant to punish her with his kiss, not to elicit a moan of ecstasy. Michael could make a woman orgasm just by kissing her. He loved women’s lips and took his time with teasing and exploring their mouths, but tonight that was far from what he wanted Ambra to feel.
When Ambra stiffened in his arms and began to struggle against him, pushing at his hard chest with her hands, refusing to bend to his punishment, he was about to let her go because they were friends. Until she bit his lip in warning—not enough to break the skin, but enough to hurt. An unexpected heat poured through him.
Changing everything between them, he could feel her defiance in every part of her body tight against his. Her laboured breathing pushed her breasts into his chest, and he now wanted to feel the weight of them in his hands. Having Ambra in his arms had him changing his kiss. Now, instead of punishing her, he couldn’t control the urge to conquer her mouth. He pulled her tighter into his embrace.
How dare she resist my punishment? She did me dirty. Her joke, as she claimed, went too far.
She turned her head away, moving away from his mouth.
“Michael—”
“What? Aren’t I finally giving you what you have always wanted? Hmm?” he said coldly as he ran his mouth along her jaw and felt her shiver. A triumphant feeling poured over him as she responded, confusion coming over him at his response to her.
When they first met and became friends, they were young, too young for anything other than just being friends. As they matured, he had put her entirely in the friend zone; she was just like one of the guys to him, but at this moment, with her in his arms, feeling her curves pressed against his, her scent, feeling her soft skin and strong jaw under his lips, he was getting hard, especially as she softened against him for a minute before she stiffened and tried to push him away again.
“Michael, I am warning you.” Ambra threatened but her voice sounded husky.
“Tutu. Just being a good best friend and giving you what you wanted,” he said, leaning his head back and moving his hand into her coarse hair, pulling her head slightly back, making her gasp from the sting of his pull. He quirked an eyebrow up and almost chuckled at her angry, frustrated look, her lips pouting. Her hands gripped his shoulders to keep her balance, as he had her slightly tilted back. The heat and imagining her lips on his cock made his loins ache and grow heavy. I want her.
“Micki—” she implored but then gasped when he reached down with his other hand, cupping one of her ample breasts and squeezing it gently.
“Don’t call me that; that was your nickname for me when we were kids and as my best friend, but now you have gone and changed all that, and we are about to be so much more than what you bargained on. Let me show you a little taste of what to expect at the cabin retreat with me,” he promised before taking advantage of her gasp as he moved his hand over her breast, touching, squeezing, and rubbing his fingers against the now pointed tip he could feel through the material of her dress.
He moved his mouth over her now parted lips. They felt juicy underneath his, responding now, and tasted sweet. He dived in, forgetting where they were and who she’d been to him. Kissing her was sweeping away all his control. He was hot and excited, and he wondered if it was partly because he was kissing his friend, who he now had to acknowledge was all woman.
Damn. She filled out the dress to perfection, and her breast filled his hand. He was a breast and ass man, and from the very fitted dress, he now realized that Ambra had hidden a lot with all the loose clothes she usually wore. He had never noticed, and now he wondered why.
She moaned, and her tongue came out to trace his bottom lip, causing a low rumble to escape his chest. He liked the way she was teasing his lip, and he couldn’t resist, moving his hand out of her hair and down her back until he cupped her tight ass in his hand, thrusting forward with his hard cock. All his thoughts were consumed with hearing the needy moans that were escaping her lips.
He moved down to kiss and suck on her neck. She let out a low moan and gripped the back of his neck, seeking purchase. “Michael,” he heard her whisper, and his heart raced with elation.
“ Michael .”
Yes that’s right; call my damn name.
He made his way back up her neck and whispered huskily against her lips, “Yes that’s it; say my name,” before delving back in.
“ Michael .”
He frowned because her voice suddenly sounded very masculine. Goddamn woman, your voice gets husky like that…
“Michael! For the love of God man.” He was pushing through the thrall of arousal, and the voice calling his name began to register. Shit. His brother had terrible timing .
He let go of Ambra abruptly and turned to see his brother standing by the door, a closed-off look on his face as he took in the scene before him.
“I...what are you doing here?” Michael asked, feeling flushed with sudden guilt at getting caught.
His brother’s eyebrows lifted, and then his silver gaze, just like his own, turned to look at Ambra standing next to him.
Ben’s harsh features softened, and his eyes held concern. “Are you okay Ambra?”
He turned to see embarrassment and hurt gracing Ambra’s pretty features. Her lips were swollen from his kisses, and her lashes fluttered down to hide her expression from both of them.
She shivered, and her eyes flashed to his for a second, her glance heated. She quickly looked at his lips, as if wanting more, before confusion darkened them and she turned her head away.
Michael felt guilt but also satisfaction to see that she was still as affected as he was. If his brother hadn’t interrupted, he would have fucked her right there in the conference room.
She nodded and then cleared her throat. “Yes.” And then they all spoke at once.
“Ambra.” He reached out to touch her.
“I think—” he heard her start huskily.
“Ambra, Diamond is looking for you.”
“And you are needed on stage to give the closing speech with us,” Michael’s twin brother said to him as he moved closer to them.
He could see her side-eyeing him as she nodded to his brother and began to move away from him, physically and emotionally.
He suddenly did not like that and took a step towards her, but his brother got in his way, blocking him.
“Move,” he growled in aggravation.
“You have done enough. Let her—” He knew that if he pushed it, he would be getting into a fight with his brother, and neither one of them could win. They were equally good at fighting and knew each other’s weaknesses.
“Ambra,” he called out, interrupting his brother, and saw her pause at the door to the conference room.
“I will be waiting; don’t make me come and find you. Because you know how good I am at hide and seek,” he threatened.
She stiffened and turned her head, glaring at him. “Ha!” Ambra scoffed that one word with feeling.
“Like a dog, searching for his lost bones,” she muttered softly, but he heard her.
He grinned at her rebellious parting shot. This was about to get interesting. He had known Ambra the friend for so long that he was now curious, and his appetite had been whetted to know her as a desirable woman. His woman for the weekend getaway.
“What do you think you are doing?” His attention now shifted to his brother, who looked annoyed with him.
“Exploring something new.”
“This is not a time for you to be joking around, especially with Ambra, and now that we are about to launch our own tech company together.”
“Don’t worry about me and Ambra. She is a big girl and knew what she was doing when she raised that final paddle and won the date with me.”
“Mich—”
He went up close to his brother’s face. “You stay out of my business and I will stay out of yours. Or do you think your obsession with Diamond to be okay, hm? I should talk to Mother and Father about what I—”
His brother stiffened and now interrupted him. “Fine. I will back off for now. Let’s go; I am sure everyone is wondering why we are missing,” Ben said coldly, an angry look on his face.
Michael felt guilty for throwing that in his brother’s face, but he didn’t need him in his business either. Ambra and he were grown adults and would deal with what had happened just like they always did.
He nodded and pulled himself together before following his sibling out the door and to the waiting audience of guests.